A member of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s first graduating class, the Class of 1963, has passed away. The college is saddened to learn that Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Benz of Durham, North Carolina, died January 18, 2023. He was 85.
After receiving his Purdue DVM degree, Dr. Benz went on to earn a doctorate in veterinary parasitology from the University of Wisconsin and then taught and conducted research at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. In 1980, Dr. Benz joined Merck’s research laboratories in New Jersey as director of clinical research. His tenure included work with Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug used in livestock, and in treating river blindness in developing nations. Dr. Benz retired in 1993.
Memorials may be made to the Gerald W. Benz and Joan L. Benz Scholarship Endowment at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, 625 Harrison St., West Lafayette, IN 47907.